Pacquiao-Larios tango
by Hermie Rivera

Less than a month into the fight, Manny Pacquiao and Oscar Larios have started beating up their sparmates as they stepped up work for their July 2 slugfest at the Araneta Coliseum.

Pacquiao this early has been installed by the bookmakers as a heavy favorite owing to his ability to make sense of what he sees atop the ring anytime he fights. But Larios himself is not an easy out.

As we go into the so-called stretch ,essential aspects of the promotion such as ticket outlet locations and the like remain a guarded secret while inquiring minds want to know who is the real promoter of this mano a mano.

Pacquiao hasn’t really had a bona fide promoter since Murad Muhammad and Gary Shaw were removed from the scene

I gather that promotional activities are being handled by Manny’s managers, Shelly Finkel and Nick Khan, when they pulled together with Manny, a $4,000,000 package from ABS-CBN.

Question — Will Finkel and Khan be delivering the undercard, paying production costs, and making ancillary deals? If so, they could be running afoul of the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act — 15 U.S.C. Section 6308 which provides:

(b) Firewall between promoters and managers
(1) In general, it is unlawful for:
(A) a promoter to have a direct or indirect financial
interest in the management of a boxer; or
(B) a manager -
(i) to have a direct or indirect financial interest in the
promotion of a boxer; or
(ii) to be employed by or receive compensation or other
benefits from a promoter, except for amounts received as
consideration under the manager’s contract with the boxer.

Manny has formed his own promotional company right?

Just what role will this company play in the promotion and who are the principals in charge? Will Finkel and Kahn use Pacquiao Promotions as a veil to shield their promotional activities? How will Finkel, Khan, Pacquiao Promotions and ABS-CBN operate? The roles are blurred — maybe purposely so — but it would be interesting to know “who’s on first?”

While we await for answers, may I suggest the immediate adoption or a strengthened version of the Muhammad Ali Act to help fighters who have been victimized by unscrupulous promoters and managers.

Our lawmaking officials can enact one if they so desire assuming they aren’t into something mischievious such as coup d’ etats or charter change.